Reading Group with Jessica J. Lee

"What happens when a plant - or a people - moves from one place to another? We often turn to language to offer a frame. So we have introduced species, invasives, exotics, and weeds. So we have "plant immigrants". Or indeed, too often when applied to people, just "migrants"." (from the introduction of Jessica J. Lee: Dispersals. On Plants, Borders, and Belonging, 2024)

We will read together some chapters of Jessica J. Lee's book Dispersals, and consider and discuss the topic of terminology and naming in the context of plants and migration. We want to look at plants that are somehow perceived as "out of place" - whether weeds, neophytes, samples collected through imperial science, or crops introduced and transformed by our hands. How has the language that we use to describe such plants developed, and how does language shape the realities of how we make sense, relate to and deal with nature? What is more, how does this language also shape cultural narratives and analogies? What could different ways of speaking and relating sound and look like?

You are invited to also bring a short text or term you would like to talk about, if you like.

In English

JESSICA J. LEE is a British-Canadian-Taiwanese author and environmental historian. She is the author of prizewinning books of nature writing, Turning (2017), Two Trees Make a Forest (2020) and Dispersals. On Plants Borders and Belonging (2024), the children's book A Garden Called Home (2024), and co-editor of the essay collection Dog Hearted (2023). She was Writer-in-Residence at the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology in Berlin from 2017-2018. Jessica is the founding editor of the digital platform The Willowherb Review and teaches creative writing at the University of King's College in Halifax, Canada. She lives in Berlin.

https://www.jessicajleewrites.com/

The reading group is part of the PLANT STORIES program, that runs from June to October 2025 at ZK/U Berlin.

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Reading group with Jessica J. Lee

"What happens when plants - or people - move from one place to another? We use language to describe, to create a framework. So there are introduced species, invasive species, exotic species and weeds. So we have "plant invaders". Or, when it comes to humans, all too often 'migrants'." (from the introduction by Jessica J. Lee: Dispersals. On Plants, Borders, and Belonging, 2024. Quote freely translated into German by Andrea Goetzke)

Together we will read a few chapters from Jessica J. Lee's book Dispersals and discuss and reflect on concepts related to plants and migration. We want to look at plants that are perceived as somehow "out of place" - whether weeds, neophytes, specimens collected during colonial expeditions or introduced and modified crops. How has the language we use to describe such plants evolved? What influence does language have on how we relate to and interact with nature? How does this language also shape cultural narratives and analogies? What might other terms, forms of speech and relationships look and sound like?

If you like, you are welcome to bring a short text or term you would like to talk about.

in English

In English

JESSICA J. LEE is a British-Canadian-Taiwanese author and environmental historian. She has published three award-winning books in the genre of nature writing: Turning (2017), Two Trees Make a Forest(2020) and Dispersals. On Plants Borders and Belonging (2024), as well as the children's book A Garden Called Home (2024) and, as co-editor, the essay collection Dog Hearted (2023). From 2017-2018 she was Writer-in-Residence at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology in Berlin. She is the founding editor of the digital platform The Willowherb Review and teaches creative writing at the University of King's College in Halifax, Canada. She lives in Berlin.

https://www.jessicajleewrites.com/

The reading group is part of the PLANT STORIES series, which runs from June to October 2025 at ZK/U.